Supporting SeaWorld is Supporting Cruelty

Every year thousands of families go to SeaWorld for a day full of fun, but the cost of their family trip is much more than they could ever imagine. If they knew the truth about SeaWorld would they still support it? Do you know the truth about SeaWorld? Simply put, supporting Seaworld is supporting animal cruelty. The way in which the orcas at SeaWorld is extremely cruel, and this cruelty can be seen very clearly through the effects that it has on SeaWorld’s orcas.

For starters, the areas that the orcas are confined to are much too small for such large animals. The average adult orca can range from 18 - 32 feet long and will weigh an average of 2.6 - 2.9 tons. Wild orcas have been documented to swim up to 100 miles a day. At SeaWorld’s largest chain, SeaWorld San Antonio, their biggest tank it only 220 feet long and 40 feet deep. This habitat is obviously much too small for such a large animal to thrive in. Orcas are very social animals and very emotionally complex. Scientists have evidence that orcas may even be more emotionally complex than humans. Orcas live in pods, and an orca will usually stay with his or her mother for life. When orcas are held in or bred captivity in locations such as SeaWorld, they are being deprived of the social and emotional connections that they require. These living conditions cause

obvious physical and psychological trauma to the orcas. The first example of this is life expectancy. The estimated maximum life expectancy for female orcas in the wild is 80 - 100 years, for males 60-70. At SeaWorld the average life expectancy of their orcas is only 13 years. Another obvious physical issue is the collapsed dorsal fin. According to Dr. Ginneken who has studied wild orcas since 1987, less than 1% of Orcas in the wild have a collapsed dorsal fin. At all SeaWorld locations, every single male orca has a collapsed dorsal fin. Orcas are very peaceful animals in the wild, but it is a totally different story in captivity. It is not uncommon for SeaWorld’s orcas to attack each other and even humans. Many humans have been injured by orcas in captivity, and three humans have even been killed. There are no records of an orca in the wild ever harming a human. It is apparent that the living conditions for the orcas in SeaWorld takes a huge psychological toll on the animals, causing them to lash out in very violent manners.

After knowing how cruel orca captivity is, would you take your family on a trip to SeaWorld? Using logic, compassion, and a moral compass it seems obvious as to why you should never go to SeaWorld or support SeaWorld in any way. In recent years thousands of people have taken a stand against SeaWorld, including many celebrities (Harry Styles, Aaron Paul, Joan Jett, and more). Join these people in a stand against SeaWorld and their cruel treatment of such beautiful and innocent creatures.